One of the best finishes of the day was enjoyed at Chester on Friday by Hawick’s rising teenage star Bruce Lynn when partnering CLASSIC SENIORITY for Marjorie Fife in the gentlemen’s handicap over 7 1/2 furlongs.
Slowly into stride, Bruce was happy to bide his time at the rear of the field led by Gary Beaumont and RALPHY BOY. Bruce then made a bold run up the inner and came with a sustained challenge inside the last couple of furlongs for CLASSIC SENIORITY to hold on by a head in a three-way photo with Simon Walker 2nd on ECHO OF LIGHTNING and Matt Ennis with CHARACTER ONESIE another head back in 3rd.
Chester is a notoriously tricky track for anyone to handle and this was a great ride from Bruce in his first visit there. His coolness in the saddle received much well deserved praise from the attending press. Congratulations to Bruce and to winning connections!
Many congratulations to Richard Patrick who not only rode his first winner under Rules at Uttoxeter today but also in the process denied champion jockey Dicky Johnson the winner!
A photo finish resulted in Richard winning by a head on DEFINITE FUTURE for Kerry Lee.
This weekend sees the annual European Championship for Lady Amateur Riders kindly hosted by our friends in Bratislava and Budapest.
We are delighted that Amie Waugh will be representing Great Britain. Amie is having a fantastic season here at home both on the Flat and also over jumps, with 3 wins so far putting her in 3rd place for the Ladies Flat Championship (behind Serena Brotherton (7) and Joanna Mason (5)). Amie also lies in 2nd place for the Ladies Jump Championship with 3 wins behind Emma Todd (4) and enjoyed a great ride at Perth last night to finish 2nd.
There are 2 races in Budapest on Saturday and another 2 races in Bratislava on Turf on Sunday. Good luck Amie!
10 runners and riders went to post on Bank Holiday Monday for the Gentleman’s Amateur Derby run over 1m 4f at Epsom with Patrick Mullins hoping to add to his impressive tally of 2 Epsom Derbys in the last 3 years. However it was his fellow countryman Jamie Codd who was to add to his already enviable UK record by giving an impeccable ride to HUBERT’S for Yorkshire’s John Quinn. (Jamie’s wins this year include Cheltenham Festival and Aintree Foxhunters whilst back at home he was crowned Irish Point-to-Point Champion and enjoyed a Galway Festival winner.)
This was Jamie’s first ever ride around the unique course but it was to prove to be a masterclass with him biding his time, content to tuck in at the rear of the field until making his move halfway down the home straight. At this stage long time leader LEYLAND ridden by Will Pettis faded whilst HUBERTAS stormed through to take up the lead and deny JUPITER CUSTOS and James King by 3/4 of a length as they passed the post, with ETON RAMBLER and Simon Walker 6 lengths 3rd.
Jamie said “Its great to come over here and do this on my first ride here. It’s fantastic. John Quinn rang me last week and it didn’t take too much thinking to take on the ride.
When you see it on TV you don’t think it’s daunting, but when you ride it there’s a massive pull for the first 5 furlongs and even the camber in the home straight is quite tricky. I was probably there too soon but my excuse is I’m a jump jockey!
They all fell away so quick around two and a half to go and I was a little bit worried I had got there and committed too early, but he stays well. These are the places you want to be winning at. When you are a jockey its all about getting winners at Cheltenham, Aintree and all the big places as you want to showcase your talents. Cheltenham is our Olympics but it is nice to come here at the Derby track and ride a winner.”
David O’Reilly, part of winning syndicate The Pro-Claimers, added “We won the race three years ago with Beacon Lady with Patrick Mullins on board and a good jockey can make all the difference on a day like this. We brought him over especially for this as he is very good. We wanted him to come late and we thought he’d got there a bit too soon but the race suddenly opened up in front of him. We thought he was going to get caught as the horse has been chinned a few times, but Jamie gave him a nice strong ride.”
Jamie has certainly done that and we send huge congratulations to him and to winning connections on an unforgettable day with this win completing a treble on the card for trainer John Quinn! Well done Jamie!
As is customary at this time of year, the Ladies Amateur Flat Champion title is hotting up, with wins from Katie Margarson at Thirsk on 15th August for Nigel Tinkler with TEETOTAL, Michelle Mullineaux at Chepstow on 18th August with her father’s DESERT TANGO and Serena Brotherton at Salisbury on 19th August with Ralph Beckett’s COSMIC STORM in a well judged race to deny Ireland’s Lisa O’Neill on the 11/10 favourite NONA BLU by a neck in a thrilling finish! This took Serena one win ahead of her nearest rival Joanna Mason.
Carol Bartley, with Serena Brotherton riding her own CITY GROUND at Redcar on 27 August, took the ride on SAN CASSIANO for Ruth Carr in the Racing UK Handicap over a mile and 2. Always handy, SAN CASSIANO was ridden from 2 furlongs out to lead inside the final furlong and under Carol’s strong driving, in spite of drifting right, holding off FRAILLY GARTH and Amie Waugh by a neck, with Fionn McSharry and MUGARRED a length back in third. Serena Brotherton was 4th. What a finish!
More on the story of the race for the Ladies Amateur Flat Championship was to follow with the running of the Gay Kindersley Memorial by kind invitation of The Duke of Richmond and Gordon at Goodwood Racecourse on Sunday 28 August. Heavy bursts of rain throughout the day resulted in trainers withdrawing 3 runners with concern over the going. However, the wet conditions did nothing to stop Serena Brotherton and PINK RIBBON maintaining their winning partnership (having enjoyed success here back in June) making virtually all to win by 1/2 a length from Joanna Walton and POINTILLISM with Jonjo O’Neill Jnr on his father’s STANLEY 1/2 length back in 3rd.
Many congratulations to Serena who has now extended her lead for the championship with a tally of 7 wins so far this season. Joanna Mason is currently 2nd with 5 wins, and Amie Waugh 3rd on 3.
Tuesday 23 August saw the race for the Amateur Flat Gentleman Jockey Champion title hot up with the familiar name of Simon Walker adding to his lead.
Simon is now on 7 wins after a masterful ride on the green but game MAGNIFICENT MADIBA for George Baker at Brighton, and is now 4 clear of his nearest rival and good friend Ross Birkett.
The penultimate race in the BETFAIR NOVICE AMATEUR JOCKEYS SERIES was the first race of the evening card held over 2 miles at Thirsk on Monday 22 August with Jockey Coach Tim Reed walking the course as is customary with the jockeys 90 minutes before each race.
The rain softened ground saw 11 runners finishing well strung out with eventual winner QUESTION OF FAITH held up by Gary Beaumont and settled at the rear of the field in the early stages. Making a move 4 furlongs out, the partnership got the better of HERO’S STORY and Matt Ennis in the final couple of furlongs to stay on and win by 3 1/4 lengths. 3rd was Emily Bullock with BELLE PEINTURE.
Many congratulations to Gary and to winning connections! Our thanks go to sponsors Betfair for these great race riding experiences for our novice amateur flat jockeys.
The series now moves on to Ripon for the finale on Monday 29 August.
The 6th of the 8 races in the BETFAIR NOVICE AMATEUR JOCKEYS SERIES was the first race of the afternoon at Carlisle on Wednesday 17 August with Jockey Coach Tim Reed in attendance.
In spite of this being his first season with an enviable race record so far of 75% success (3 wins from 4 rides), Bruce Lynn was making his first appearance in this series and was not to disappoint, partnering in-form trainer Nigel Tinkler’s CAESAR THE GAESAR. Always in touch, with Rachel Sharpe leading the field until 2 furlongs from home on NATIVE FALLS, Bruce began to make a move to lead inside the final furlong and keep on well to win by 2 1/2 lengths. Second was Tom Greenwood with PICKS PINTA with Matt Ennis 2 1/2 lengths back in 3rd, denying Rachel Sharpe that place by a neck.
Congratulations to Bruce and to all winning connections!
Many thanks to generous sponsors Betfair for these great race riding experiences for our novice amateur flat jockeys. The series now moves on to Thirsk on Monday as the first race on the evening card with 11 runners and riders.
ALL participating jockeys are expected to attend the coursewalk which takes places 90 minutes before the race, as always meeting the Jockey Coach Tim Reed on the Weighing Room steps. Fail to prepare or prepare to fail! If you choose not to attend the coursewalk then you are not taking your participation in these races seriously enough!
Successful jockeys are regularly seen walking the course before their rides – you never know what you may learn about the course and the ground and your Jockey Coach is there for YOU so take advantage of his advice. All jockeys should always be as fully prepared as possible before undertaking a race ride so that you can do justice to your horse and yourself, never mind the owner and trainer kind enough to support you! Good luck all! 🏇💨🍀
The 12th of 15 races of the HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak 2016 Ladies World Championship Series took place at Hippodrome Wellington, Ostend, Belgium on Monday 15th August. International lady jockeys represented 10 different countries: 🇧🇪Belgium, 🇩🇰Denmark, 🇩🇪Germany, 🇬🇧Great Britain, 🇮🇪Ireland,🇮🇹Italy, 🇳🇴Norway, 🇴🇲Oman, 🇵🇱Poland and 🇪🇸Spain.
We are immensely proud that Catherine Walton riding for Great Britain enjoyed a winner in only her first ever Arabian race! Riding MESSI for Belgian owner-trainer Vido Keersmaekers, Catherine’s horse responded to her strong driving to lead inside the final furlong and stay on well, winning by 3/4 of a length. Catherine’s career highlight up until this point had been winning the Ladies Open Hunterchase at Cheltenham in 2014 with Ockey De Neuilliac! Following her success she said “I was looking forward to this ride and I just tried my best.” By coincidence, this same race was won by amateur jockey Page Fuller on MESSI’s full brother in 2015!
Many thanks to Lara Sawaya, Executive Director of HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival, for another great race enjoyed by lady jockeys from all over the world. Catherine now looks forward to riding in the ladies finale in Abu Dhabi on 13th November alongside her compatriot Alice Mills, ex-amateur and now professional jockey, who won in Bahrain earlier this year. Well done Catherine!
Ladies Derby held at Newbury has become something of a speciality for our multiple champion lady rider Serena Brotherton with success in this race being enjoyed by her for the 6th time on Saturday 13th August.
8 runners and lady riders went to post for the Betfred Ladies Derby with Serena riding for Alan King aboard COSMEAPOLITAN who started 10/11 favourite. The partnership were always in touch and made smooth headway to lead two furlongs from home and win easily by 10 lengths from Becky Smith and SAMTU for Marjorie Fife 2nd with Hayley Moore 3rd aboard WHINGING WILLIE for her father Gary.
Winning trainer Alan King said “Cosmeapolitan didn’t handle Goodwood at all on his latest start but has been in good form since. Serena was on the phone as soon as the entries came out and, as soon as she said she would ride him, I knew that we would come here. He is going to go up a fair bit for this but hopefully he can win again and he jumps extremely well, so I do think that he will make a lovely juvenile hurdler as well.”
Congratulations to Serena and winning connections on this victory which significantly gave Serena her 5th win of the season to re-join Joanna Mason at the top of the season’s battle for the Ladies Flat Championship. Joanna had just edged into the lead only 2 days earlier with her win at Beverley and so it looks like we may have a game of cat-and-mouse (as last year) between these two top lady riders. However, all is far from over this season as Amie Waugh with 3 wins so far has them in her sights, whilst Becky Smith and Catherine Walton are on 2 wins apiece. Good luck all!
